In an article entitled “Slaughter vs. Rescue” we learn:
Just a few weeks ago, Little Cliff, a one-time contender for the 2006 Derby, was rescued from being sent to slaughter.
“Let me tell you something, if they’re not careful, you’ll see another Ferdinand,” said two-time Derby winning trainer Nick Zito, the original conditioner of Little Cliff.
About the only agreement among slaughter proponents and opponents is that the increased costs of fuel and food are issues for horse owners.
“It probably has a lot more to do with the drought than anything else,” Clary said of the increase in reports of unwanted horses in Kentucky.
Last spring’s freeze and the summer drought in Kentucky made hay scarce, and prices remain high. Moss said, for example, that she paid $50 to $75 for a large round bale of hay this winter compared to $25 to $30 the previous winter. Overall, the cost of caring for a horse for a year is estimated at $1,800 to $2,500 — if the horse doesn’t face any significant complications. And that estimate doesn’t factor in increased costs in fuel used to transport feed and horses.
Read the debate in the Courier-Journal article at this link.
In the meantime, the federal bill to ban horse slaughter and export for slaughter nationally is stalled in committee in the House and for a vote in the Senate. However, the House version of the bill, HR 503, continues to receive support and as of this writing has 200 co-sponsors. The Senate version of the bill, S 311, still has 38 co-sponsors.
A recent attempt by pro horse slaughter lobbyists to persuade state legislators to pass a resolution at their National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) predictably failed.
List of Co-Sponsors: HR 503
List of Co-Sponsors: S 311
Little Cliff rescued from slaughter, Thoroughbred Times
Tuesday's Horse 